Page 14 - Occupational Health & Safety, March 2017

SUMMER HAZARDS/HEAT STRESS
The Dangers of Heat Stress
Fans improve safety during the hottest months of the year.
BY PAUL MURRAY AND SCOTT S. MOODY
Summer is here, which means businesses of all kinds will be turning to fans to keep workers cool and happy, because happy workers are productive workers. In fact, according to the Center for the Built Environment, temperature, air quality, and noise are the three most important factors when considering productivity.
However, lost productivity is not the only problem caused by heat—as the temperature increases, so does the likelihood of heat-related illness. Hot weather is responsible for more hospital visits and fatalities than any other weather-related source, and recent statistics suggest it carries heavy human and financial costs for U.S. employers. In 2013, for example, there were 16,320 reports of heat illness so serious it resulted in days away from work, according to the U.S. Office of Compliance, the organization responsible for safety compliance within the legislative branch of the U.S. government. The same year, 38 heat-related occupa- tional fatalities were reported.
Additionally, a 2014 CDC report indicates that 20 cases of heat illness were cited for federal enforcement in 2012-2013—13 of these cases in- volved a worker death and seven were non-fatal but involved two or more employees. And from 2001 to 2010, more than 28,000 hospitalizations related to heat illness occurred in 20 states participating in a CDC tracking program.
While federal agencies don’t set a maximum safe temperature for workers, employers are responsible
for protecting workers from extreme heat. OSHA requires employers to provide safe working environ- ments for their workers, and failure to do so can re- sult in fines and other enforcement action. Most of the enforcement actions against U.S. employers re- lated to heat illnesses are levied under Section 5 of the OSH Act, known as the General Duty Clause, which states that each employer “shall furnish to each of his employees employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards.” Heat illness is one such recognized hazard, and in the vast major- ity of cases it is preventable with education and minor precautions on the part of employers.
There are a number of factors that employers need to be aware of and which will allow them to take the necessary precautions to reduce the risk of heat ill- nesses. For example, operations involving high air temperatures, high humidity, direct physical contact with hot objects, or strenuous physical activities cre- ate a greater potential for inducing heat stress. Other factors are unique to each employee and can affect a person’s sensitivity to heat, such as an employee’s age, weight, degree of physical fitness, degree of acclima- tization, metabolism, use of alcohol or drugs, and a variety of medical conditions.
There are many ways to reduce or delay the onset of heat illness that vary in cost and ease of installation. Fans are one of the most cost-effective and simplest options and, when used properly, can significantly re- duce heat illness incidents in the workplace.
14 Occupational Health & Safety | MARCH 2017
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BIG ASS FANS